Donald Hill-Eley is getting ready for his first full season as Alabama State football coach.

Hill-Eley led the Hornets to a 5-1 record after taking over for former coach Brian Jenkins, who was fired last October after posing a 10-17 record in two-plus seasons.

ASU is coming off back-to-back losing seasons following six consecutive winning seasons.

Hill-Eley spent 12 seasons as head coach at Morgan State from 2002-13, winning 59 games and earning Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference coach of the year honors in 2002.

With preseason camp around the corner and the Labor Day Classic against Tuskegee just weeks away, the Advertiser spent a few minutes with Hill-Eley following Monday's news conference to talk about the upcoming season.

The season is fast approaching. How has the program progressed since you took over last fall?

It's going good. The biggest thing I wanted to do initially, outside of getting the team prepared, is getting our fans' support. I think with the help of our players and (ASU President) Dr. Quinton Ross and (ASU interim athletic director) Jennifer Lynne Williams, we've been doing that. We're doing a lot of community initiatives to let them know that we've invested in them.

Every year, it seems the first game is the most important. This year, you've got Tuskegee again. How many people have talked to you about the importance of this game?

I was at a funeral, and a pallbearer asked me how we look against Tuskegee. I was at a wedding, and the groom asked me how we look against Tuskegee. I was at the grocery store, and the cashier asked me about Tuskegee. Everybody's asking about Tuskegee, so it's very important. We'll take it as that.

How important will it be to get off to a good start this season?

There's a lot riding on it, mainly because of the close proximity. Those guys are going to play us hard. They've beat us the last two times (at ASU Stadium), so we've got our work cut out for us.

Buy Photo

Alabama State University head football coach Donald Hill-Eley speaks during a news conference on the ASU campus in Montgomery, Ala, on Monday July 9, 2018.(Photo: Mickey Welsh / Advertiser)

You have only four home games this year. That's not an ideal situation for you. How do you plan to manage that kind of schedule this season?

We have to make sure that our academics are matched up. They have to know that we'll be leaving for most of the school year. We have to put those things in place so that we're not away from campus as long. Also, instead of having Mondays off, we'll have Sundays off because they're going to need that day to get work done.

You play seven conference games. In the past, you had to play everybody. How do you prepare for conference play?

We've got to win the East. We map out our games against the East, there are four games you've got to win. Then, you have to map out the West. We're playing some of the top tier of the conference. We've got the SWAC champion (Grambling) at their place. We've got the SWAC runner-up (Alcorn State) at their place. Then, we've got Prairie View at their place. We've got to go into some hostile territory and win.

When will you know how you stack up against the rest of the conference?

From being in the SWAC the last couple of years, you don't really know how you stack up until the middle of the race. Everybody starts out about even with some of the same problems and blessings.

Buy Photo

Head Coach Doanald Hill-Eley talks with players following the Alabama State University Black and Gold Game at Hornet Stadium on the ASU campus in Montgomery, Ala. on Saturday April 28, 2018.(Photo: Mickey Welsh / Advertiser)

Where have you seen the biggest improvement from your team since the end of last season to now?

I think the consistency with our O-line play, and then on the outside with our passing game. Just watching what they've been able to do during the summer. Last year, we were very strong defensively, and we've padded that some more. We've added some strength, so we have to have an offense that can score points and not turn the football over.

As preseason camp gets started, what do you look for within that first week?

The biggest thing is you have to see what kind of team you've got reporting back. Our biggest focus will be learning the playbooks on all three sides and getting the right players in place. That second to third week, we're start our strategies for Tuskegee.

Buy Photo

Head Coach Donald Hill-Eley during the Alabama State University Black and Gold Game at Hornet Stadium on the ASU campus in Montgomery, Ala. on Saturday April 28, 2018.(Photo: Mickey Welsh / Advertiser)